Miami rebounded from a tough loss to Virginia Tech by staging a late comeback to beat Oklahoma 21-20. Virginia Tech did just enough to get by Duke while Georgia Tech impressed at Mississippi State. Don’t know what’s become of Florida State who continued to flounder with a loss to BC. The Eagles will identify themselves as contenders or pretenders this Saturday with a trip into Blacksburg to face the Hokies.

Big 12 Gets Down to Business

It seems to have taken awhile, but Big 12 action finally begins this weekend along with the first big matchup of the conference season which kicks off tonight as Nebraska travels to Missouri. Look for the Huskers, who’ve faced a tougher schedule, to steal away with a win. Disappointing matchups dot the rest of the slate; which should feature blowout victories by Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Texas Tech. Keep an eye on that Oklahoma-Baylor matchup, however, as defending Heisman winner Sam Bradford, may return to action.

Can Cincinnati play for the title?

Don’t know how many BCS geeks would like to see it happen but the Bearcats continue on their march to the top of the rankings. They’ll enjoy a weekend off before heading to South Florida for what may be their only obstacle to an undefeated season. The Big East continued its stellar, out-of-conference, performance as West Virginia dumped Colorado and Cincy topped Miami of Ohio. In Western NY, Syracuse football fans are beginning to identify with the frustration felt by Duke basketball fans over the last four years. Greg Paulus is as weak a QB as he was a PG.

SEC Elite Continues to Flex Muscles

Pity poor Georgia. Absolutely the toughest 3-2 team in the nation, they blew a 4th quarter lead last week and a shot to knock off #4 LSU and vault itself into the league title picture. They’ll head to Tennessee this week to see if Lane Kiffin’s boys can back up their talk. The biggest matchup of the week features Florida at LSU. Gator QB Tim Tebow’s status for the game is still uncertain, (have to think he’ll play), as is his ability to rebound from a concussion. A loss here won’t be fatal to Florida’s hopes for an SEC Championship, (they’re in the East; LSU and Bama in the West), but may derail their chance to repeat as National Champs.

Cal Bears Can’t Bear Tough Schedule

Who was the idiot that had California ranked #2 as late as two weeks ago? Oh yeah, me. That the Bears lost two straight to Oregon and USC is not nearly as surprising as the fact that they managed just six points. Two field goals. Well, as the Bears go to sleep for the winter, we’ll turn our attention to Halloween night, when the Ducks and the Trojans lock up to determine which goes to the Rose Bowl. In other action, Steve Sarkisian’s Huskies are nobody’s patsy this year, as proven by their close call in South Bend. There may be no moral victories in football but a 2-3 record coming off a winless season is pretty close. Don’t be surprised to see Stanford hanging around the top of the standings for most of the season. They’re a scrappy bunch heading to Corvallis for a tough matchup with Oregon state this weekend.

Big Ten Football, Whether You Want It or Not

Did every producer at ESPN go to a Big Ten school? Last Saturday, (every Saturday actually), four conference games were broadcast almost simultaneously by ESPN and its family of networks. Can’t tell you how exciting it was to watch Iowa, regarded as the league’s second best, hold off perennial power Arkansas State 24-21. Really, guys. Arkansas State? Both Penn State and Illinois looked as disinterested as I was until someone whispered into JoePa’s hearing aid that Illinois is really bad and the Lions ran away in the 4th QTR while viewers who sat through Michigan-Michigan State still can’t decide which team played worse. Looks like a cakewalk for the only legitimate power in the conference, Ohio State.

Boise’s Road to BCS Title Game Gets Shorter

Assuming Boise State can run the table and finish its season undefeated, there is a distinct and viable possibility that the Broncos will find themselves playing for a National Championship. Currently ranked at #5 in the Coaches’ poll, they’ll see two of the four ahead of them drop out. Alabama, Florida and LSU must all play each other, which will eliminate at least two. Boise’s chances then come down to two matchups: Oklahoma-Texas and USC-Oregon. If Oklahoma can beat Texas next Saturday, they’ll likely knock the Longhorns out of the Big 12 picture; just as Texas Tech did last season. Then, if Oregon can hold off USC on Halloween, Boise can point to its own victory over the Ducks as reason for consideration. A longshot, yes, but one we’re pulling for. Houston ended its BCS dream in getting crushed by UTEP while Notre Dame continued to struggle with less than elite teams. Honestly, when was the last time any ND team was 4-1 and unranked? Their defense is non-existent.